Jacob Matthew Million

JacobMMillion@gmail.com Github Linkedin

I am interested in the ways in which technology and thoughtful problem solving can contribute to addressing intricate challenges.

I am a self-starter seeking a challenging opportunity in a development environment. I am experienced with various languages including Python, Java, Swift, and C, databases such as Firebase, IDEs such as VScode and XCode, and version control systems such as git. I am open to both front and back end roles and have IOS app development experience (my app Menu-ly is available on the App Store).

Education

Columbia University, New York, NY
B.A. in Computer Science
Expected Graduation: May 2025
GPA: 3.84

Pierce College, Lakewood, WA
A.A. Psychology Concentration

Experience

LLM Training, Scale AI, May 2024 - Current: Worked with Scale AI to train LLMs such as ChatGPT. I reviewed code produced by these LLMS, created ranking scales for comparative purposes, and suggested better responces.

Software Engineer Intern, Radical AI, May 2024 - August 2023: Worked closely with senior engineers on Radical AI's AI tutor, Rex.

Computer Science Insctructor, JRCoder and Coding4Youth, May 2023 - August 2023: Instructed various computer science courses as an independant contractor for JRCoder and CodingForYouth. Classes included: object-oriented programmaming in Java, designing game logic with blueprints in the Unreal Editor, and Roblox game programming in Lua.


Interests

I am interested in efficient and impactful solutions to problems. I have been invloved in various organizations such as Rebuilding Together, where I assisted in the implementation of home repairs. I have also participated in groups such as Columbia's Arete Effective Altruism Fellowship, a discussion group that explored ideas in Effective Altruism and actionable ways to improve the world. Main topics consist of cause-areas such as climate change, nuclear security, and AI safety.

I enjoy digital photo editing and have experience with platforms such as Photoshop and Lightroom. I was the first place contender in my district for the Congressional Art Competition in 2018, and my piece, "Together" was displayed in the U.S. Capital for the duration of the year. More info here: House of Representatives Website (2018, WA, District 10)



Projects

Menu-ly, IOS Application: Menu-ly is an IOS application built with Swift designed to improve restaurant organization and customer satisfaction. Restaurant administration and management can upload their menu descriptions so servers can have easy access to view new dishes, changes, and allergies. Staff can also study with built in review features such as flashcards. Multiple restaurants have reported increased server confidence and knowledge after using Menu-ly. More information here


Web Server, C Program: This basic web server can serve static HTML and image files and is also capable of serving dynamic content by working in conjunction with a database server using sockets API. Implemented to support GET requests (C).

WGET Clone, C Program: This program takes the host, port number, and file path of a web page as input. It opens a socket connection, and requests the given file using HTTP 1.0 protocol. On success, the requested file is downloaded (C).

Droid Invasion Game, Python Application: In this game, the user control a lightsaber at the bottom of the screen that must deflect incoming bullets back towards waves of incoming droids. The game ends when a droid reaches the bottom of the screen before the character can destroy it (Python).


Sudoku Solver, Assemply Program: Given a pointer to an unsolved Sudoku board, this function solves the puzzle, iteratively applying a single solving tactic: for each solved cell, rule its digit out of the corresponding row, column and box. This tactic is applied until all cells in the board are solved. In the example below, The top puzzle is the original board, where an unsolved cell is represented by an array of bytes containing all possible numbers. Ruled out numbers are replaced with '.' thus in the bottom solved board below, each cell has only one number and eight '.' chars (Assembly).



[The above projects and more can be found on my github. The web server and web page downloader are private github repos as to not provide solutions to assignments that may be reused. I am more than happy to add collaborators for viewing, please reach out with a good email address for me to share with. Alternatively, my resume has direct links to these repos.]

Papers

Below are various papers I have been involved with, relating to computer science or mathematics.




My Work as a Teacher and Tutor

I have instructed various computer science courses as an independant contractor for JRCoder and CodingForYouth. Additionally, I have independantly tutored students in computer science topics, programming, and mathematics.


Intro to Java / Python:

The first half of this course establishes some computer science basics: data types, variable declaration, conditionals, loops, and functions. In the second half, object oriented programming principals become the focus: exploring classes and touching on topics such as inheritance. This course provides a solid foundation for any student looking to begin learning Java or Python and covers important computer science concepts.

Game Logic with Unreal Editor:

This course begins with an introduction to the Unreal Editor interface. After the student are comfortable with the interface as well as importing static meshes to use in their game, we shift to the main focus of the course: the blueprint system. This system allows us to create the logic for our game by combining pre-made C++ code blocks. A short amount of time is spent explaining C++, but we mainly abstract this away to focus on the higher level logic. The students create various short projects where they must create moving platforms, enemies which cause damage, a GUI, and various forms of enemy movement logic.

Intro to Roblox Game Programming in Lua:

This course begins by looking at the definition of an algorithm, creating some pseudocode, and then translating it into Lua code. The students learn data types, variable declaration, conditionals, loops, and critical thinking skills. After they have established enough of these basics, we move to Roblox Studio. Here, the students can create scripts in Lua for logic within their Roblox Game. This is better suited for younger students or students with very little programming experince.


Contact: JacobMMillion@gmail.com

Please reach out via email for rates, questions, and more information!


Reviews

5/5 stars: "Jacob was a great instructor and was very in-depth when explaining and always answered every question we had! He brought energy to every session and made me excited to learn more about the program. He also took time away from class to gather more materials and information [when we had very specific questions] about Unreal Engine to show us in class the next day, as well as helped all of us outside of class hours to make sure our problems were fixed and that we understood everything. He was an incredible, professional, and helpful instructor."

5/5 stars: "Jacob was very encouraging when [my daughter] had ideas. After class, in his spare time, he researched answers to her questions [when they went beyond the confines of the curriculum]. He taught extra above and beyond the curriculum as she was already ahead."

5/5 stars: "Jacob was very detailed and showed several examples of what was being taught, to make sure we understood... If we had questions, he'd take time to walk us through his examples and code, pointing out how different code could be used to achieve similar results. Class was a lot of fun; he was a great teacher!"

5/5 stars: "Super fun instructor and went into detail about everything we had questions about."